The Cincinnati Bengals seem to have all the pieces in place for routine championship runs. They’ve got a young franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow, who has already led his team to the Super Bowl and appears positioned to continue to knock on that door for years to come.
Although Ohio is largely considered the home of the game of football, the state has yet to produce a Super Bowl champion. Sure, the Cleveland Browns won a few pre-modern-era NFL Championships, but neither they nor the Bengals have hoisted a Lombardi.
Cincinnati has made it to the Super Bowl three times, losing to the 49ers twice in the 1980s and dropping a heartbreaker to the LA Rams in 2022. They made it to the AFC Championship Game in 2023, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.
So, why are online NFL sportsbooks rating them so poorly? The following Cincinnati Bengals prop bet suggests they’ll most likely miss the NFL Playoffs this season.
2023 Cincinnati Bengals Odds For Stage of Elimination
- To Miss The Playoffs +250
- To Lose In Wildcard Round +260
- To Lose In Divisional Round +325
- To Lose In Conference Championship Game +550
- To Win Super Bowl +850
- To Lose In Super Bowl +1400
While it may appear that online football betting sites are implying that the Bengals will miss the playoffs, the specificity of the remaining outcomes is what is driving the odds.
A better evaluation of Cincinnati’s postseason chances can be gained from the following line for NFL Playoff betting.
Cincinnati Bengals Odds To Make the Playoffs
- Yes -350
- No +250
When narrowing the options down to two outcomes, a playoff berth seems certain for the Bengals. The above prop bet requires a wager of $3.50 on “yes” just to net a dollar in gains.
How will they make the playoffs? Will it be as a division winner or a wild card? The following AFC North futures features Cincinnati as a heavy favorite to lock up one of the top four seeds in the American Football Conference.
AFC North Odds To Win (2023)
- Cincinnati Bengals +120
- Baltimore Ravens +250
- Cleveland Browns +370
- Pittsburgh Steelers +525
These divisional futures grant CIN a generous lead over the Baltimore Ravens, suggesting they’ll wrap up the AFC North and claim a top-four seed in the playoffs.
Their odds for betting on Super Bowl LVIII place them among the top four franchises. Normally, that would suggest they’ve got a great chance of making it to the AFC Championship for the third consecutive year, but they’re the third-rated team in the conference behind the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills.
Super 58 Odds To Win
- Kansas City Chiefs +600
- Philadelphia Eagles +800
- Buffalo Bills +900
- Cincinnati Bengals +950
- San Francisco 49ers +950
- New York Jets +1200
As long as the current nucleus of players remains on Cincinnati’s roster, they’ll continue to take cracks at their first Lombardi. The only trick is to make sure to bet on them the year they finally get it done. 9.5-to-1 payouts are on the line right now if you want to bet on the Bengals to win SB 58.
Sources: Bovada Sportsbook, Sports Illustrated